Dana White on Ian Garry's fifth round against Islam Makhachev: "You didn't do it"
White told The Diary Of A CEO that Garry had "five minutes to shock the world" at UFC 330 but went out "shaking his hands and hugging him".
Dana White says Ian Garry let his chance to beat Islam Makhachev slip in the final round of their UFC 330 title fight.
Asked on The Diary Of A CEO about his line that "you either have the killer instinct or you don't", White pointed to Garry. "I felt like Ian Garry in that fifth round, you have this opportunity, you're fighting possibly the greatest fighter of all time, and you did a damn good f***ing job for four rounds," he said. "His whole right side was busted up, his face was busted up, but he was beating you as far as rounds go."
"Now you're the younger, bigger, rangier fighter. You just fought four incredible rounds. Get out there and put it on," White said. "You go out and start shaking his hands and hugging him and do that when they're strapping the belt on you. Show Islam all the love you want when the fight's over. This is the fifth round. You have five minutes to shock the world, and... everything you ever f***ing dreamed of and worked for can happen in this next five minutes, and you didn't do it."
White stopped short of saying the Irishman lacks a killer instinct. "I don't know. You know, he's a classy, really nice guy, but that's not the time or place to be it," he said. "If he does have it, he didn't show it."
Makhachev won the welterweight title fight on a decision in August. This week Garry said a main event against Michael Morales was agreed, writing "The date is locked in", though the UFC has not announced it. Morales had called out Makhachev and swore at Garry in a video on Sunday. In the same interview White called Eddie Hearn "weak".
Every UK fight result and what's next, every Friday. Get the free UK fight briefing
More MMA from Combat Sports UK
- Dana White on signing Conor McGregor: "He's going to be a massive superstar"
- Dana White on his mother's unauthorised book: "One of the grossest, most disgusting things"
- Islam Makhachev enrols in a master's degree at Plekhanov University in Dubai
- Glover Teixeira says Raoni Barcelos had swelling on the brain after UFC Vegas 121
The UK fight briefing
The stories, results and upcoming fights worth knowing. Every Friday.